By Cindy Chant

cindy@peicanada.com

Verna and Kenny Banks of Alberton remember the day well, 61 years ago, when they said “I do.”

“The weather on that day was much like the weather was this year,” said Ms Banks, who remembered Dec 9, 1950, as warm, with very little snow on the ground.

The couple met on a blind date in 1949 when they joined friends in Charlottetown at a popular club and have been inseparable ever since.

“My friend told me not to wear heels (on the date) because I would tower over him,” said Ms Banks, who decided she didn’t care how short he was. She was going to wear them anyway.

Mr Banks joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 and was stationed at several bases throughout Canada before landing in Summerside  where the couple met six years later.

Much planning went into the winter wedding. Several family members and friends assisted the couple with the preparations. Ms Banks mother (Ms England) designed and made the long white velvet gown with a high collar and long pointed sleeves. 

“I never wanted to ask how much the dress cost my parents to make,” said Ms Banks.

According to a newspaper clipping saved by the couple announcing their wedding, “her finger-tip veil of nylon net was held in place by a bandeau of the same material. She wore a three-strand necklace of pearls and carried a bouquet of tea roses.”

Along with the wedding dress, Ms England also made the bridesmaids’ dresses. One was made of cherry red velvet. The other bridesmaid wore a jade green velvet dress. Both wore Juliet caps and mitts to match their gowns, rhinestone necklaces and ear rings. 

A close friend of the family took on the daunting task of hand writing the wedding invitations. Fancy calligraphy filled the embossed card stock invitations inviting friends and family to the wedding ceremony at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Alberton.

The Air Force planned an elaborate fly past to go over shortly after the couple were married, but were a few hours too early as Ms Banks was at her family’s home getting ready when she heard the rumble of the aircraft flying low overhead.

“I leaned my head out the window and looked up, wondering what all the noise was,” said Ms Banks.

As a four engine Lancaster aircraft flew overhead the pilot tipped its’ wings before heading back to the Summerside base.

After posing for several photos the couple proceeded to their brand new beige car only to find a movie poster taken from the nearby theatre taped to the back window. The movie playing at the theatre was “Red Stallion of the Rockies.”

“At that time Kenny had red hair, so all of his friends had a good laugh after,” said Ms Banks.

When they finally got into the car and started on their way, the car wouldn’t move.

“Somehow they put the car up on blocks so we weren’t going anywhere,” said Mr Banks, who also remembers once they were taken down from the blocks the car would not drive any faster than 20 km/hr.

“A cousin who was a mechanic caught up to us at the end of the road and fixed the engine so we could go faster after he rigged it so they couldn’t drive at highway speeds.”

Following the ceremony a reception, attended by 60 guests, was held at Ms Banks parents’ house.

According to the newspaper clipping, “the dining room was decorated with yellow chrysanthemums and tall yellow tapers in silver candlesticks. The table, covered by a lace cloth, was centred by a three tier wedding cake, topped with a miniature bride and groom.”

After leaving the area to start their honeymoon, the couple landed in Borden to catch the boat that connected the Island to the mainland.

“At that time the boat had a dining room with cloth napkins and white table cloths,” said Ms Banks, who went on to say “When we went into the dining room for supper, four of our friends from the wedding were there too with big smiles on their faces.”

As the boat docked on the mainland the newly married couple headed off to Moncton where they had reservations to a hotel.

“I kept looking back and all our friends were still there following behind us,” said Ms Banks.

Once they checked into the hotel Mr Banks went up to the room and told his new wife “Guess what? They’re here!”

“We stayed up till four in the morning,” said Ms Banks.

In 1954 Mr Banks retired from the Air Force and later moved his growing family to Chicago for 12 years, and then Detroit for eight years, returning to PEI every summer to visit. 

After 20 years of being away in 1974 they decided to move back home to PEI with their six children, where Mr Banks helped his brother who had a large potato farm in Summerside.

After 61 years, Mr Banks can still fit in the Air Force uniform he got married in. Ms Banks wedding dress was later converted into a formal evening dress.